Worth The Wait
by ilovetvalot
Summary: On Halloween night, Rossi contends with a less than sober Jennifer Jareau. Written in response to Kavi Leighanna & Sienna27's TV Prompt Bonus Challenge. Co-authored with Tonnie2001969
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: First, thanks to my co-author Tonnie2001969, she goes way above the beyond for me. And also thanks to Kavi & Sienna27 for the TV Challenge opportunity. Please let me know what you are thinking! This story is finished, but I'm going to post in chapters. As ever, I don't own Criminal Minds._**

**Worth The Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 1**

Looking around the crowded bar, Penelope Garcia grinned widely as she took another sip of her drink. There was nothing like a rocking Halloween party to get one in the mood for fun. And it helped that she was getting a new view of her best friend. Who knew that Jennifer Jareau could limbo like that?

Seeing the look of glee on her friend's face, Emily Prentiss asked, yelling to be heard over the din, "What's so funny, Garcia?"

Gesturing with her coca-cola bottle, Penelope pointed toward the dance floor. "Take a look at our little Marilyn. "

Emily twirled on her barstool, balancing herself at the last moment to keep from being thrown off. Gazing toward the dozens of people packed into the tiny space, Emily had no problems finding her blonde coworker. In a sea of possible pumpkins, Jennifer Jareau stood out like a neon sign in her Marilyn Monroe-esque white halter dress.

Laughing, Emily shook her head as she yelled, "If JJ goes any lower, I don't think her dress will leave much to the imagination."

Just then, Penelope felt her phone vibrate, and she muttered a curse against whoever was daring to interrupt the most fun she'd had in years. Glancing at the display, she saw Morgan's number, and she quickly connected, yelling into the phone, "Listen, my chocolate God of Thunder, did you forget the plan?"

Morgan laughed, the noise just as loud on his end. "Hell, no. You drilled it into me, baby girl. I was just making sure everything was still going according to your perfect plan."

Garcia nodded, swinging her eyes back to the dance floor. "Just like we discussed, we're about to place a call to the BAU. And David Rossi's gonna show up and be JJ's knight in shining armor. He's supposed to be there tonight, working on his book, right?"

"That's what I heard him say, Mama," Morgan replied. "You sure you don't need me to come get you though?"

"Nope, Emily is going to leave in the next few minutes and then I'm gonna make that little call we discussed and get Operation JJ's Future Happiness under way."

"Then you get that shapely butt of yours home and tell me the details, Mama. This I can't wait to hear.," Morgan ordered on a grin.

"Will do, Lovebug. I'll be home soon," Garcia told him, disconnecting and meeting Em's eyes.

"You think this is gonna work?" Emily asked, sipping her mixed drink.

"It better! You heard the Gumdrop earlier…you saw the way she blushed and stammered when she talked about him…those are all clear markers that our girl is in LOVE!" Penelope enthused.

"And Rossi?"

"Ah hell, my supersmart profiler friend! You've seen exactly what I have. The way his mouth drops every time she bends over…"

"Garcia…you've seen JJ's ass! MY mouth drops open, too!" Em argued.

"True," Garcia nodded, "but you don't look like you want to rip every man's head off that strays a little too close to our Golden Goddess. Besides you heard her, she loves Rossi's ass and thinks he'd be a ten plus in the sack!"

"Yeah, her tongue did sort of loosen up after her second drink," Emily laughed.

"That's what the Gumdrop gets for only drinking once a year," Pen snorted, shaking her head as she looked around a sea of orange for that one white body. "And hopefully, she'll be just relaxed enough to let her guard down tonight around our resident SuperAgent."

"Here she comes," Emily said, nodding at the dance floor as a slightly inebriated JJ flowed toward them. "That's my cue," she said winking at Pen and hopping off the bar stool.

Wiping her forehead as she reached the table and grabbed her drink, JJ took a healthy swallow. "Damn, it's hot in here!" she panted.

"That might have something to do with the fact that you just limboed your ass off!" Pen laughed. "I didn't know you were THAT flexible, Agent Jareau! Those skills of yours could come in MIGHTY handy!"

"Yeah, right," JJ grinned.

Hugging her friend, Em yelled over the music, "I gotta go…Aaron just texted and let me know that he'd dropped Jack back off at Haley's."

"Ah, so that's your cue, huh?" JJ winked. "Have a good time for BOTH of us, if you know what I mean!"

"Ya never know, Jaye," Emily said, casting a quick look at a smirking Garcia. "It's Halloween…maybe this year you'll get a really BIG treat!"

"Don't bet on it," JJ rolled her eyes as her hips swayed to the music. "Go! Go get some for both of us!"

Kissing her friend's cheek again, Em nodded and made her way out of the bar as JJ's eyes followed her. Turning to Pen, JJ scrunched her nose. "Lucky bitches! Both of you are going home to men that want you! I'm going home to Mr. Happy, the yellow vibrator! Life isn't fair!" JJ said, waving to a passing waitress and holding her empty drink up.

"Never know…Halloween is filled with mystical things…" Garcia murmured.

"And ugly girls dressed like some horror-film director's idea of surreal pumpkins," JJ completed as she glared out at the dance floor. Dropping off the barstool, JJ wavered slightly, her hand reaching out to grab Penelope's shoulder for support. Giggling, she said, "Wow, who knew that this bar had a revolving floor?"

"Sweetie Pie, I think you might be feeling the effects of those lovely little drinks you've been downing all night, " Pen said knowingly. Taking advantage of the moment, she added, innocently, "Why don't I place a call and get a friendly ride all lined up? I've got Call-a-Profiler on speed dial, you know. Ready and waiting."

Smiling happily as the waitress handed her another mixed drink, JJ took a healthy sip as she said, "You go on, Pen. I'm fine here for a while longer."

Garcia said sternly, waving her hand in front of JJ's face, "Listen, gumdrop of mine. Remember our deal? We never leave our partners behind. "

"That's for work, silly. This …" JJ said as she waved her arm around at the ensuing chaos, "…is FUN!"

"Be that as it may, if you stay, then I stay," Garcia replied, schooling her face into a long-suffering expression. "Of course, I can just call Morgan and let him know that I'll be late. I'm sure that he won't mind putting those plans on hold. Of course, he's been planning this night for weeks, so…." Trailing her voice off, she looked expectantly at the blonde.

Even in her highly inebriated state, JJ felt the guilt rolling over her, and she took another sip as she said, pulling a face at her friend, "Oh, all right. I'll just go on home and figure out some way to make myself happy."

"I'll make arrangements to get us both home safely, Sunshine," Penelope replied happily as she reached for her phone. "Just leave it to me."

Showtime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: First, thanks to my co-author Tonnie2001969, she goes way above the beyond for me. And also thanks to Kavi & Sienna27 for the TV Challenge opportunity. Please let me know what you are thinking! This story is finished, but I'm going to post in chapters. As ever, I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**Worth The Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 2**

Five minutes later as she watched JJ weave her way toward the harried bartender behind the counter, Penelope waited, tapping one foot impatiently for her friend's potential knight in shining armor to pick up the phone. "Come on, come on, Agent Rossi," Pen murmured frantically, eying her friend at the bar.

"Rossi," Dave answered his phone tersely.

"Agent Rossi, sir," Penelope said excitedly. "How are you this happy Hallow's eve, sir?"

"Garcia? Is that you?" Dave said, trying to hear their resident technical analyst over the din in the background.

"Yes, sir. Sir, is there any chance Morgan is with you?" Penelope asked, forcing an urgent note into her voice.

"No, he left about an hour ago. Is something wrong?"

"Uhmmm…weeelllll…we might have a small problem?" Garcia said, smiling as she made her voice go shaky with hesitance.

"What kind of problem?" Dave asked, furrowing his brow as he closed the file he'd been perusing.

"Uh…Well, she's about 5'4", 120 pounds soaking wet and slightly inebriated," Pen replied.

"Why is JJ drunk, Garcia?" Rossi asked, rising behind his desk and automatically reaching for his car keys. He knew immediately who the enthusiastic tech had been talking about.

"It's her once a year treat to herself, sir. But, we're at McGonagills and…well, she's a little farther along the road this year, sir…and she seems to have developed a startling number of admirers," Pen explained as she watched JJ shake her head at yet another man. "I'm gonna need a little help getting her home and I can't seem to get a hold of my Love Bunny."

"Stay right there, Garcia and do NOT, for the love of God, let her do anything stupid. I'm holding you responsible, Garcia! I'll be there in ten minutes," Dave growled, mentally calculating the distance to the bar.

***

Eight minutes later, David Rossi threw open the door to the decorated pub and looked around. Mouth tightening as he immediately found JJ's blonde head attached to her bouncing body in the middle of a sea of dancing orange pumpkins, their hideous orange bodies gyrating to the beat of the music.

Hearing his name being called frantically, Rossi tore his eyes away from the dance floor long enough to recognize Penelope Garcia, who was pushing her way toward him. Rossi growled, "Garcia, what in the hell is going on here?" Throwing out a hand toward the throng, he added, darkly, "Rather, what in the hell does she thinks she's doing?"

Hiding the glee that she felt at Rossi's apparent dis-enchantment with the current situation, Garcia replied, mock-seriously, "That's what I called you for, sir. I don't think I can get her out of here on my own!"

"Well, I can," Rossi said, his eyes narrowing as he watched a particularly pushy suitor attempt to press himself closer to JJ.

Seeing him stalk toward the dance floor, Garcia grinned as she said behind him, "I'll just head on out then if you've got this taken care of!" And, throwing one last glance over her shoulder at the sight of his dark head moving into the chaos, Garcia literally skipped out of the bar, knowing that her own Knight in Shining Armor was waiting for HER at home.

Rossi didn't even hear Garcia's parting words, his focus completely on the tiny woman currently performing a very convincing imitation of The Blonde Bombshell. Tightening his jaw, he pushed his way through until he managed to squeeze himself right in front of her.

Feeling her hand being grabbed, JJ fought through her inebriated haze, protesting quickly, "Hey! Hands off!" Following the hand currently locked tightly in hers up a leather-clad arm, she looked up, sheer shock on her face as she recognized the face of David Rossi.

The very handsome, dark, and ANGRY face of David Rossi.

"Dave!" JJ grinned happily up at him. "What are you doing here? Did the girls talk you into being my Halloween treat? Garcia DID get this devilish gleam in her eyes when I rated your ass the best in the unit, but I never thought she'd actually serve you up!" JJ giggled, pressing her body to his when one of the dancer's behind her accidentally jostled her.

Wrapping his hands around her bare arms, Dave pulled the unsteady woman closer to him. "What the hell do you think you're doing out here in that get-up?" Dave growled, choosing to ignore the remark about his ass for the moment.

Glancing down her body, JJ looked back up into dark eyes. "It isn't obvious? I'm Marilyn!"

Trying not to let his gaze linger on the exposed flesh of her breasts, Dave shook his head. "That dress is indecent!"

"None of the other guys shared your opinion," JJ shrugged.

"We're getting out of here," Dave growled under his breath, beginning to tug her off the dance floor.

"Wait! I just ordered another drink," JJ said, jerking out of his grasp and darting back to where the waitress had just delivered a drink to their table.

Groaning, Dave quickly followed the younger woman, casting furious glares at any man he caught looking at the tantalizing figure of one Agent Jennifer Jareau.

Grabbing her from behind, Rossi said firmly, "No more drinks, Jennifer. I think it's obvious that you've had more than enough! Good God, honey! You can barely stand up!"

Swishing her flounced skirt, JJ took a healthy sip from the glass as she said around the rim, "But I just got it! And it's so, so, SO good!"

"Hell, no, woman," Rossi said, grabbing the drink and dropping it to the table. "How many of these have you had already?"

Wrinkling her nose, JJ attempted to think, scrunching her forehead. Finally shaking her head, she said, giggling, "Doesn't matter. Still got this one," as she reached quickly for the discarded drink.

But David Rossi moved faster than she did, and the next thing JJ knew, she found herself thrown over the well-toned shoulders of David Rossi.


	3. Chapter 3

**Worth The Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 3**

Pounding her hands on his back, she yelled, "Put me down, you big oaf! I want my drink!"

"Not a chance in hell," Rossi snapped back, turning to fight his way back through the crowd. Tightening his grip on her bare legs, he clapped a hand over her skirt covered ass just seconds before the flimsy fabric flew out of control. And he did his best to maintain his own control as he felt her smooth skin flowing beneath his touch. Damn, this woman was going to be the death of him.

Flipping her hair out of her face, JJ yelled as she watched her drink moving farther and farther away, ""Damn it, David! Give me my Screaming Orgasm, right here, right now!"

Stopping abruptly as yet another orange clad woman, this one in a tight orange leather mini-skirt, black bra, and see thru orange shirt, stepped in his path, Dave sighed deeply and prayed for strength.

"And after you give the sweet thing hers…maybe you wouldn't mind sharing one of those Screaming Orgasms with me," the brunette in front of him said seductively.

Craning her head around Dave's legs, JJ's eyes widened. "Look, Dave!" she said, pointing drunkenly at the woman. "It's the winner for best Slutty Pumpkin!"

"Oh Dear God," Dave moaned rolling his eyes before focusing them back on the fuming woman in front of him. "I don't think so…sort of going to have my hands full with this one tonight!"

As Dave stepped past the gaping woman he'd just shot down, he groaned as he heard JJ yell, cupping her hands around his ass, "Actually, I've got my hands full of him!" "You ought to feel this ass of steel! Oops! Sorry, you weren't invited!" JJ squealed, blowing a raspberry at the woman.

Slapping her ass sharply, Dave growled even as he fought his own grin, "Jennifer, behave!"

Giggling against his lower back, JJ laughed, "What fun is that?"

"Jennifer…." He warned, ignoring the looks from the gathered partiers as he forced his way out onto he sidewalk.

"Did you know, " she asked happily, content to pat her palms against the jean-covered ass so conveniently placed right in front of her, "that we had a contest earlier?"

"Do I want to know?" Rossi snapped back, stalking toward his truck double-parked on the corner.

"Yep," she giggled, bouncing against him as he shifted her to grab for his keys. Shaking her head, she said cheerfully, "And I voted for YOU!" Then she added, dejectedly, "But you lost. Your ass just didn't stack up against Morgan's." Then her voice turned cheerful again as she squeezed his cheeks, gleefully adding, "But, oh, lookie here! I'd give this a blue ribbon anytime!"

In seconds, Rossi had the door open and easily flipped her around, propping her up against the leather seat. Grabbing her as she almost slid to the ground, Rossi wrapped his arms around her waist as he said, sternly, "Jennifer, look at me."

"What?" she asked blue eyes staring up into his. Not giving him time to answer she lifted a finger to his lips, tracing them softly. "Kissable lips, too…I bet you really know how to kiss a girl."

"Jen," he murmured against her lips, "You're drunk, honey."

"Mmm hmmm," she hummed, "and it feels great!"

"It won't in the morning," he sighed, tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.

"You know what else I bet feels great?" she added, grinning saucily, trailing her hand down his chest to his groin and fondling him.

Closing his eyes, Dave caught his breath and chanted, "I'm a gentlemen. You're a gentleman, Dave." Groaning as her talented fingers cupped him through his jeans and soft lips pressed against his neck, he reminded himself aloud, "Your mother would kill you. She raised you to be a gentleman! There was a rulebook and everything!" Capturing her questing hand, Dave bit out, "JJ, you don't know what you're doing, babe."

"Yeah, I do," JJ giggled. "And I was right…it does feel great…long and hard and thick and-mmmph-"

Clapping a hand over the mouth currently driving him to the brink of his sanity, Dave shook his head as he unevenly stated, "I repeat, you don't know what you're doing."

Licking his palm as he drew it away, JJ smiled up at him. "Maybe not…but, I bet you could teach me a few things. I'm a very apt student, Dave. I think you'd be REALLY pleased with my learning curve."

"I bet I would," Dave muttered, drawing a deep breath while waging a valiant battle with his own willing body's reaction to her touch.

The alcohol hadn't dulled her sense of hearing, and JJ grinned widely at his response. "So what's stopping us?" Reaching behind her, she patted the leather seat as she said, invitingly, "Come on, Dave! You know you want to!" Leaning forward, she whispered conspiratorially with a drunken wink, "Your body told me so! I checked!"

"Oh merciful God," Rossi groaned, pushing her back to lean against the truck. Capturing both of her hands in his, he held them firmly at her waist as he roughly shifted her onto the leather seat. Staring at her expectant face, he reached around and snapped on the seat belt as he said, harshly, "Now just sit there until I can get us moving."

"Spoilsport," JJ muttered, tugging at the unyielding seat belt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Worth the Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 4**

Slamming the car door, Rossi stalked around the front of the vehicle. "Get it together, man," he warned himself, muttering. "She's drunk. You don't take advantage of drunk women. She's drunk, drunk, drunk."

Reaching the driver's door, Rossi jerked the handle, sliding into place as he glanced over at the woman in the passenger's seat, hoping against hope that she might have passed out. No luck. Oh, sweet Jesus, he thought as he heard a tune start to warble out of her lips. Help us now.

"I'm a wooooooman," JJ sang at the top of her lungs, banging the dashboard with her heeled foot. "W, O, M, A, N."

"Jennifer, don't abuse the truck, honey," Dave cautioned, reaching over to still her beating leg.

Turning her head to look at him, JJ grinned. "You know, you sleep with anything that moves. I could get really offended here," she warned.

"I USED to sleep with anything that moved," Dave corrected. "I don't sleep with anyone at all now, babe, and not long time either," Dave told her, starting the truck.

"Well, since I don't want to sleep with you, we don't have a problem," JJ said happily.

Raising a brow, Dave asked, mildly disappointed, "So now you've changed that infamous mind of yours, huh?"

"About sleeping with you? Yeah. I've decided I want to fuck you. That hasn't got a thing to do with sleeping," JJ said, scooting as close to him as her seatbelt would allow and reaching down to fondle him again.

"Jesus, Mary, and, Joseph, Jennifer!" Dave yelped as her tiny hand encased his manhood again and he swerved on the road. "Honey," he said, dropping one hand to still her movements as he tried to remain neutral, "you're gonna cause a wreck if you keep that up."

"Oh, you can multi-task, can't you, Dave?" she asked, wiggling her fingers against her intended target, grinning widely as she recognized the signs of life.

Twitching uncomfortably in his seat, he tightened his hand even more against her manipulations as he yanked her fingers away. Sternly, he said, putting her hand in her own lap, "New rules, honey. Keep your hands on your side of the vehicle or I'll be forced to use my handcuffs."

Blue eyes widening, JJ clapped her hands and said delightedly, "Really? Promise?"

Damning himself for even bringing the subject up, Rossi forced himself to ignore the visions flashing through his mind then. Oh, sweet, sweet, Jesus, he was going to have to go to confession every day for a month and say Hail Marys every morning, noon, and night if he ever wanted to get into heaven after this.

Clearing his throat, Rossi finally said, gruffly, "Just sit there, Jennifer, and let's get home, okay?"

"Stick in the mud," JJ huffed, flopping back in her seat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Worth The Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 5**

Twenty minutes later, Dave's headlights illuminated JJ's small driveway as he pulled in behind her car. Gazing across the seat at her, he ordered, "Okay, just stay right there and I'll come around and help you down."

"Yes, Dave," JJ nodded demurely.

Giving her one last suspicious look, Dave opened his car door and quickly circled around the vehicle to open her door. Catching his breath again as her soft curves slid down his body enticingly, her arms tangled around his neck as she stared up at him. Smiling, JJ whispered, "Now, I've got you AND I'll get my kiss."

Before he could even shake his head in denial though, her determined lips met his. Nipping sharply at his lower lip, he opened his mouth to chastise her as she took her advantage. Pressing closer, she tangled her tongue deliciously with his, fingers combing through his dark hair as she did. Groaning into her mouth, Dave tightened his arms around her small waist reflexively, fitting her against his body involuntarily. Dear God, she tasted good…sweet, succulent,…FORBIDDEN! Breathing hard, Dave tore his lips away from hers. "Sweetheart, we can't," he said, almost pleading.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure we CAN," JJ murmured, lowering one arm from around his neck and moving it to cup his arousal. "THIS says we can!" she whispered hotly against his ear, catching his earlobe between her teeth in a playful nip.

"Jennifer," Dave groaned as he cupped a warm hand around the back of her neck and his hot breath fanned against her cheek, "Honey, this isn't fair."

"What's not fair about it?" JJ smiled, pressing her body closer against his strong frame.

"It's not fair because we can't do this…not like this, babe. You're drunk. I've done a lot of despicable things in my life, but I've never taken advantage of an inebriated woman," he hissed as her fingers pulled his shirt loose from his jeans.

"You aren't TAKING the advantage now, David! I'm GIVING you the advantage! Run with it, honey," JJ whined, nipping at his chin.

"My mother raised a gentleman, Jennifer, and this gentleman says no," he ground out, mentally quoting every baseball statistic he had ever learned, to no avail. Dammit, this woman was seriously going to make him break his leash.

"You don't look like a momma's boy to me, Dave," JJ taunted, pressing more intimately against him as she shifted slightly, gaining another inch of contact against his oh-so-firm body. "As a matter of fact, I think you're all MAN."

The woman was half- octopus, Rossi thought dimly, his mind fighting with his body for control. Finally regaining his ability to put together coherent thought, he decided that brute force was the only way to keep this situation under control.

Swinging the clinging woman up in his arms, JJ giggled. "Now, this is more like it, Rhett!"

Kicking the truck door closed, Dave strode toward the front door of her condo. "I want you to know, I'm memorizing every bit of tonight so that I can repeat it back to you in the morning," Dave informed the woman in his arms pleasantly. "Keys?" Dave ordered as they reached the door.

Fishing into her clutch, JJ dangled the object in front of his face. "Keys," she said brightly.

Sighing deeply, Dave balanced the woman on one leg as he snatched the keys from her hand and jammed them into her lock, pushing open the door.

"Oh, goodie!" Tightening her arms around his neck, JJ kicked back and licked his earlobe

as she said, flirting, "Second door on the left, big boy. I promise there's a big bed just waiting for us!"

Feeling himself stir even more at the sight of her sprawled across her bed, just waiting for him, Rossi muttered, more to himself than her, "Not a chance in hell, you vixen."

Shifting her, he said, "Okay, honey, I think you can walk from here." Ignoring her doleful look, Rossi dropped her to the floor, then slid two hands on her shoulders as he pushed her gently into the darkened kitchen.

"This is not my bedroom," JJ complained, leaning heavily against the refrigerator as she glared at him.

"No, but this is where the coffee lives, and I think you need all of the caffeine you can get," Rossi said patiently as flipped on the lights then started opening cabinet doors.

"No coffee," JJ pouted, then suddenly grinned as she spied a dark bottle on her cabinet. Grabbing it, she waved it haphazardly as she chanted, "Wine, wine, wine, wine, wine!"

"Jennifer," Dave shouted, making a mad grab for the bottle in her hand, "you've had enough alcohol, baby. Maybe for the rest of your life. I KNOW you've had enough for the rest of mine!" Holding his hand out, he ordered sternly, "Give it to me!"

Putting the bottle behind her back, JJ shook her head. "I TRIED! You won't take it! But if you want this bottle you'll have to take it away from me by force!"

Lifting his eyes heavenward, David Rossi beseeched the Almighty soundlessly. "Come on, God! Cut me a break down here! Mama raised a gentleman, not a saint!" he begged silently. Lowering his eyes back to the woman swaying in front of him, he knew his prayers were going to go unanswered. The twinkling in her eyes told him so. Nope, no breaks from God tonight. All David Rossi's hopes of divine intervention had been dashed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Worth The Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 6**

Reaching quickly behind her, Rossi felt the glass in his hand moments before she deftly switched it to the other hand.

"Ha, ha! You missed, you missed," JJ chanted, waving the bottle as she leered drunkenly.

"Honey, you're not going to be happy in a minute if this keeps up," Rossi warned, making another grab for elusive bottle, only to have JJ shift once again. But this time, she couldn't maintain her balance, and her slight body crashed into his, bottle and all.

"Humphh" was her muffled sound as she buried her head into his chest. Wrapping one stabilizing arm around her waist, he easily plucked the offending bottle from her other hand as he growled, "Dammit, woman, you are going to fall and hurt yourself if you keep up this foolishness."

Righting herself with his hand still wrapped around her arm, she glared down at the floor and stomped. "Quit moving!" Lifting her bright eyes to his, she grinned. "Not fair! My floor moved!"

"Honey, you're bombed," Dave said evenly.

"Am not. I bet I can still knock you for a loop," she grinned, quickly sweeping a shapely foot underneath his legs and toppling him into a kitchen chair, quickly straddling his lap. "Now I've got you," JJ giggled triumphantly.

"You know, if you were sober, you wouldn't have to work this hard to catch me," Dave muttered as she wrapped those octopus arms of hers around his neck again.

"The chase is half the fun," JJ shrugged, lifting one hand to the bow at the back of her neck.

"Jen, what are you -" Dave began to ask, his mouth going dry as he stopped abruptly when the top of her dress dropped. Swallowing, Dave quickly realized what all those passages about temptation in the Bible were all about. It was right there in front of him.

"Like what you see?" JJ asked seductively, leaning back in the safety of his arms just enough to give him a full view. And what a view it was. Her body was as beautiful as he had always imagined it to be, and that made what he was about to have to do even worse. Of all the times for his honorable streak to make an appearance, it had to be tonight of all nights.

Grimacing at the changes in his own body, Rossi dragged his eyes up, forcing himself to focus on her blue eyes as he said, hoarsely, "Honey, no. You'll regret this in the morning."

"Morning's a long time away, Dave." JJ explained, leaning forward to rub against his chest as she added, whispering into her ear, "And I know that both of us would really enjoy it tonight. "

"Tonight it's time for you to sleep," Rossi tried to distract them both, refusing to give in to the feel of her body against his.

Arching, JJ grinned as she whispered, swaying in his arms as she ground against him, "Who said nights are for sleep?"

Gasping as her nimble fingers quickly worked the buttons on the front of his shirt with one hand, Dave shook his head. "We aren't going to do this, Jen. Not tonight, at any rate."

Leaning forward to kisses from the corner of his mouth down his neck as she pushed the shirt from his shoulders, JJ murmured, "You need to relax, Dave. You've got a perfectly willing, entirely able woman in your lap that WANTS to screw your brains out. Shut up and be the guy here!"

Surrounding her hips in an iron grip, Dave shook his head. "I won't be THAT guy, Jennifer. I won't be than man that fucks and leaves you without a backward glance. Not with you. Not anymore. I'd like nothing better than to lie you across this kitchen table and take what you're offering. And, I promise you, I will. But-"

"I want you, Dave. I've wanted this for months! Are you really telling me that you don't want me?" JJ interrupted, drawing back to stare at him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Not want you?" Dave asked in disbelief. "Hell, yes, I want you. Good God, I wake up at night wanting you…needing you! And when you're stone cold sober, believe me, Bella, we're going to revisit this discussion in detail. And, if you still say you want this…that you want me, I'll make sure you get everything you're asking for. But, now, in this moment, we can't do it. I won't."

Biting her lip, JJ leaned forward to rest her cheek against his bare shoulder. "Okay," she mumbled.

A few minutes later, David smiled as he listened to her deep, even regular breathing and felt her body, heavy in sleep, settle against his. Brushing a kiss against her hair, Dave sighed and tightened his arms protectively around the small woman in his arms. "I've got you now, Bella, and I'm not letting go."

Rising carefully, Rossi shifted his precious cargo in his arms as he followed her earlier directions, aiming toward the second door on the left. Feeling her snuggle closer, he dropped a chaste kiss to her forehead as he eased her sleeping body down onto the waiting bed. Quick fingers released her heels from her feet, and he took one last look at the sleeping beauty before he turned to head toward the kitchen, intent on brewing that coffee. God knew she would need it when she woke up.

But even in sleep, he soon found out that she had no plans of letting go of him. As he turned to leave, he heard her mumble as she rolled to the edge of the bed, "Dave? Dave?"

Stroking her cheek, he eased her back toward the middle of the bed, only to watch her roll once again toward the edge. Dammit, he thought, dropping his hand to her tiny waist, the woman was just drunk enough to be dangerous to herself. And there was no way he was going to risk having her fall out of bed when she definitely wasn't able to right herself, not in her condition.

Knowing that he was going to have second …and third…and fourth…thoughts about this, he toed off his shoes and slid onto the bed next to her, pulling her into the curve of his body and anchoring her to him with a heavy arm around her waist.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

JJ groaned as she threw an arm over her eyes, the bright sunlight filtering through her curtains blinding her. "Jesus!" she moaned.

"He's not here, Sunshine! I'm afraid your stuck with me," she heard a familiar voice rumble to her right. Oh God…that wasn't…it couldn't be…not HIM. Moving her arm aside JJ cracked one eyelid, praying as she did for God to have mercy on her. Seeing a shirtless David Rossi propped up on one elbow peering down at her with dark, twinkling eyes, JJ groaned again. Holy shit! Maybe it hadn't all been a dream after all! Slamming her eye closed again, JJ moaned hoarsely, "What happened?"

Watching her discomfiture with a small measure of glee, Dave asked carefully, "What do you remember?"

Licking her dry lips, JJ whispered, "Halloween party…dancing pumpkins…lots and lots of alcohol…and you." Clearing her throat, JJ moaned, "I'm pretty sure I tried to seduce you last night."

"Oh, you did," Dave chuckled.

"Oh God!" JJ gasped. "We slept together and I don't remember it!"

"Apparently so," Rossi agreed, biting the inside of his cheek as he added, bouncing the bed slightly, "I'm crushed, Jennifer. Absolutely crushed."

Pressing her hand against her forehead, JJ moaned, "Don't, Dave. Don't move like that."

"That's not what you were saying last night, sweetheart," Rossi replied, an evil smile flitting across his lips. "I seem to remember you begging me to take you to bed, more than once."

Mortified, JJ reached out to slam a hand against his chest, patting around as she said, accusingly, "Where's your shirt? Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

Raising an eyebrow, he leaned forward as he whispered, enticingly, "You really don't remember trying to strip me? In your kitchen?"

"The kitchen," JJ squeaked, slamming her eyes closed again as she blushed fiercely.

"Yep," Dave said. "Right there in the dining room chair," he added for sport.

"Oh God," JJ whispered, pressing a hand to her head. "I think I remember that!" Dropping her hand suddenly, JJ jerked her head toward him. "Wait a second! You pushed me away! YOU said no!"

Smiling slightly, Dave grumbled, "Well, that didn't last as long as I thought it would!"

Eyes narrowing, JJ hissed, "You were going to let me think…think…"

"That we made love? I was considering it," Dave grinned unrepentantly. "You certainly wanted to badly enough."

"Dave-" JJ began warningly.

"Oh, I found out all kinds of useful things last night, Agent Jareau."

"I don't know what you're talking about," JJ returned uneasily.

"Well, let's see, shall we! I have an unstoppable ass, kissable lips, and, evidently, you've wanted to make love to me for months," he said, ticking the items off on his fingers. "Oh, and, according to you, I have a great big, long, thick…OOOMPH" Dave tried to say before his face met Jennifer Jareau's pillow.

"Shut up, David Rossi," she yelled as she rolled, intent on escaping this mortifying hell that she had apparently consigned herself to.

Feeling the mattress shift, Rossi threw the pillow to the side quickly, his hands immediately reaching for the fleeing woman.

Her escape was cut short. Before she realized it, JJ felt herself hauled back and deposited on her mattress, a firm hand dropping to her hip as he gently held her in place. Smiling predatorily, Rossi growled, "Not so fast, honey. I think I made you a promise last night that I intend on keeping."

Staring up at the darkening black eyes, JJ asked, suspiciously, "What promise are you talking about?"

"Not so quick," Rossi replied, stroking his thumb against her hipbone. "First, tell me. Are you sober?"

"Of course, I'm sober, you idiot. My pounding head is all the evidence I need of that," JJ growled, trying to squirm out from underneath him.

"Trust me, babe, I've definitely got the cure for that hangover of yours," Dave grinned, dropping a kiss to the sensitive shell of her ear.

"What are you doing, Dave?" JJ asked, her heartbeat accelerating as she felt his warm hand trail up her side to cup a lace encased breast.

Pressing a kiss to the center of her throat, Dave murmured, "I'm keeping my promise, Bella."

"Your promise?" JJ asked shakily as his lips moved lower, peppering kisses over the top of her bra's cleavage.

"Mmmm…yeah, my promise," he nodded, his breath fanning warmly against her flesh.

"What promise?" JJ gasped, as his mouth surrounded a lace covered nipple and tugged lightly.

"I promised you," Dave rumbled against the soft skin around her belly button, "that when you were sober, I'd make love to you," he told her, reaching her other breast and giving it the same treatment as he'd delivered to its twin.

Groaning shakily as she felt one hand stroking the inside of her thigh teasingly, she heard him ask, "You haven't changed your mind have you, Jen, because I gotta say, I deserve a friggin' medal for turning you down last night."

"Dave…." She started, trying to keep a coherent thought in her head, but failing miserably as his hands created havoc with her senses. "You know that I was drunk last night…"

"But you're not know, honey," He shot back, his mouth leaving a blazing trail across her sensitive skin as he reached her lips. Whispering against her cheek, he asked, seriously, "Do you still want me to make love to you? Your body's definitely saying yes, but I want to hear your lips say it, too."

Nodding against him mutely, JJ stared back into passionate, dark eyes.

"The words, Bella. Say the words," Dave demanded, gently biting at her neck as his hands tormented her breasts.

Swallowing, JJ struggled to form the words. "Make love to me," she whispered.

Lowering his lips back to her mouth as soon as she'd uttered the faint words, Dave quickly divested her of the cream bra. Moving down her body, he groaned. "God, you're beautiful!" Taking a waiting breast inside the warm cavern of his mouth and suckling gently, he delighted in JJ's moan. Switching to her other side and worshiping its twin, he moved his hands to the edge of her lacy underwear, toying with the hem. Claiming her lips again, Dave whispered, "You're sure, Bella? Before we go any further, you oughta know that I don't plan on this being a one time event. You said you'd wanted this for months. But, I've wanted it since I came back to the BAU. Wanted and waited. Alone."

"You wanted me?" JJ asked weakly, arching her back as his fingers trailed across the skin of her abdomen.

"More than you'll ever know, Bella. So what do you say? Are you willing to take a chance on a former old dog?" Dave asked against her neck.

"Can he still learn a few new tricks?" JJ whispered.

"Oh, I'm always up to a challenge…especially when there's a prize like this at the finishing line," Dave replied.

"Then I'm very, very sure that I want this," JJ said softly, lifting her head to capture his lips.

After a long, wet passion filled kiss, Dave tore his lips away from hers. "Thank God," he whispered, quickly divesting her of her panties in one sweeping motion of his hand. Dave gasped as he felt JJ's small hand reaching for the button of his jeans, quickly releasing him into her hand. Grunting in masculine pleasure as she worked her hand slowly up and down his length, he wasted no time kicking free of the restraining jeans and covering her body.

"Sweet God!" Dave moaned as he slid slowly inside JJ's tight heat. "You're gonna kill me, Bella," he breathed raggedly against her neck as she lifted her hips against him. "This first time, honey -"

"I know," JJ whispered frantically, clutching his shoulders as she raised her hips, meeting the hard, fast pace he set. "Oh, God! Dave!" JJ moaned, closing her eyes as his body filled her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung, relishing the feel of his strong hands surrounding her hips, angling her body for his deep thrusts. Blindly searching for his mouth, her tongue tangled with his as he groaned against her mouth.

"So fucking good," he panted, his downward thrusts becoming heavy and erratic as the headboard hit the wall rhythmically.

"Yes, yes, yes," JJ chanted, feeling Dave swell inside her as her body tightened, craving release.

Screaming his name, as the world faded away, she heard his shout of ecstasy as pleasure claimed his body, too. Pulling him down to her as his body stiffened above hers, she met his frantic kiss with one of her own.

Long minutes later, as he lay collapsed above her, she felt his breath against her skin as he asked, his voice muffled, "Was it worth the wait, Bella?"

Smiling as she combed one hand through his dark hair and smoothed the other hand across his sweaty back, she replied, "Very definitely worth the wait."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author's Note: Well, the muse of Criminal Minds refuses to talk to me again. I'll try to think of some oneshot material, but if anybody has any ideas for either JJ/Rossi, Emily/Rossi or Hotch/Emily, somebody shoot me a review or PM. I love to write, but the creative ideas are refusing to flow. Anyhow, I've now officially written over a hundred Criminal Minds stories. Yay! Luckily the first to episodes have provided some wonderful material to feed into oneshots. Hope the third continues the run. Please read and review. It's always nice to hear from readers! As ever, I don't own Criminal Minds._**

**Worth the Wait**

**Prompt: How I Met Your Mother - "The Slutty Pumpkin"**

**Chapter 8**

Standing on the small platform step staring at the door the next morning, Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan exchanged a look.

"Baby Girl, it's mission accomplished. That's Rossi's truck in the drive," Morgan groaned, gesturing toward the black Dodge in the driveway.

"We don't KNOW that. The only thing that means is that he got her home. We don't know if the ultimate deed was done!" Penelope argued. "We need in that house!" Penelope said forcefully, knocking again.

"Does it occur to you that they might be BUSY, Mama!" Morgan muttered, pulling her determined hand back. "And I really don't feel like facing the business end of Rossi's gun this morning. And after our excursion to the firing range last week, I'm pretty sure that man is a better shot than me!"

"Scared, my Chocolate God of Thunder?" Penelope asked, raising a manicured eyebrow.

"Wary. There's a difference," Morgan amended.

"Uh huh," Pen snorted. "We're STILL getting in that house and making sure my little Gumdrop is okay," she said, turning to face the door again.

"I am not breaking and entering, Mama. Not even for you, Sweetness," Derek said, shaking his bald head.

Rolling her eyes as she dug in her oversized handbag, Penelope exclaimed cheerfully, holding up a small metal object, "How many times do I have to tell you, my lovebug? If you have a key, there's no breaking involved!"

Groaning at the look of perseverance in the blonde's eyes, Morgan said determinedly, "Look, Doll Face, I don't think JJ intended for you to use that for nefarious purposes, now did she?"

"She said to use it for emergencies," Garcia asserted, sliding the key into the lock and grinning triumphantly as the knob turned. Stepping into the small entryway, she said over her shoulder, "And on the Garcia Scale of Crisis Intervention, I am classifying this as a Level 4 emergency."

"If it's not now, it will be when we have to explain to Hotch why I'm being treated for a gunshot wound," Morgan muttered, walking resolutely behind the peppy blonde, only to run smack dab into her as she stopped suddenly. "Momma, what the …."

"Shush your mouth and use your eyes, honeybunch," Garcia commanded, waving her hand around the disheveled kitchen. Shaking her blonde curls, she said, alarmed, "Do you think there was a break-in or something?"

Peering around her, Morgan grinned widely as he took in the various out-of-place items. Chuckling softly, he wrapped an arm around Penelope's shoulders as he said, "Babe, I don't think you need to worry about robbers. I'd say our happy couple just had a bit of fun before they headed off for a more accommodating location."

"But…but…but…."

"No buts about it, Sweetness," Morgan grinned. "Now get moving, woman. We're going to leave just as quietly as we came in, you hear me?"

"Nuh uh," Garcia said, quickly regaining her equilibrium. Pulling away from him, she reached for the overturned chair on the floor and righted it, saying firmly, "The least I can do is straighten up for my little gumdrop."

"Garcia, baby, I think we should leave everything exactly where it is," Morgan sighed.

Narrowing her eyes on the masculine shirt resting on the floor, Garcia picked it up. "OH, my, my, my....it appears our favorite living legend lost his shirt."

"And we're gonna lose our necks if we don't get the hell out of here, Baby Girl! Come on, sweet thing, if we interrupt whatever may be goin' on in this house, I don't think Rossi's gonna feel particularly forgiving. You done good, honey. I'd say by looking around this kitchen that nature definitely decided to veer on the course you set for it. Now, let's get out of here!"

Slapping absently at his hand on her arm, Garcia shook her head as she picked up the overturned wine bottle on the granite countertop and set it in the corner. Grinning, she said, eyebrows raised, "Looks like our little ray of sunshine didn't get enough happy juice in her system at the bar, doesn't it?"

"Looks to me like it's still unopened, which means Rossi probably kept her from imbibing more," Morgan replied. "And from what you tell me, the woman didn't need another ounce in her system unless she was trying to pickle her liver on purpose."

"Well, it might not have been on purpose," came a deep voice from the rounded entryway, "But her internal organs were well marinated."

Turning to look at the shirtless man framed in her best friend's doorway, Garcia tried to fight a grin. She lost, but she tried. "Lose your shirt, Agent Rossi?" she asked, dangling the dark blue shirt she held out by a fingertip.

"I don't know, Garcia. Did you forget that you don't live here," Dave growled, snatching his shirt from her outstretched hand. "You can't control your woman, Morgan?" Dave growled in the younger man's direction.

"All her idea, man," Morgan said, jerking Penelope in front of him.

"Where's your sense of chivalry," Penelope huffed, glaring at Morgan over her shoulder.

"Sorry! It was outweighed by my sense of self-preservation!" Morgan hissed back.

"Poo! I'd say Agent Rossi owes both of us a huge thank you!" Pen snorted. "Don't you, SuperAgent?" Pen asked Rossi with a wink.

"What I owe you both is a kick in the ass," Dave muttered, sliding his arms into his shirt as he reached for a cabinet door, closing it quickly as he reached for another one. "Where the hell does she keep it?"

"Keep what?" Morgan asked, growing more confused by the moment by the turn of events.

"I'm betting," Garcia sing-songed, opening the cabinet right next to her and pulling out a red container, waving it in the older man's direction, "this is what he's looking for."

Rossi reached for the Folgers, only to have Garcia yank it out of his reach as she said, shaking a finger, "Nuh, nuh , nuh. Not until you tell me what you've done with my ray of sunshine. "

"For the love of all that is holy, sweetness, give the man his coffee and let's get the hell out of here!" Morgan exclaimed, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"That would be an excellent idea," Dave growled, reaching for the coffee again.

"Testy, testy," Penelope chastised. "You'd think the living legend would be in a better mood after the events we set in motion for him last night, wouldn't you, Lovebug?"

"Shut up, Garcia," Morgan yelped. Meeting Rossi's dark eyes, Morgan shook his head quickly. "NO idea what she'd talkin' about, man!"

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Pen sang.

"You planned this with her, didn't you, Morgan?" Dave accused.

"Dude! You've met my girl...you know she doesn't need my help to get in trouble," Morgan evaded.

"You're damn lucky it worked out," Rossi muttered.

"Then it was completely my idea," Morgan said readily.

"My lovebug's apparent memory lapse aside," Penelope said, throwing a glare in Derek's direction, "I'm going to take great pleasure in knowing that I am the master strategist in the realm of romance."

"Whatever, " Rossi agreed, reaching for the coffee pot and heading toward the sink. "Just do me a favor, Garcia, take you and your partner in crime and get the hell out of here, okay?"

Smiling sweetly, Garcia patted Rossi on the cheek as she sashayed by him, saying, "You be sure to tell my little Jennifer that she's going to owe me a very long, very dee-tailed account of her activities."

"Garcia…." Rossi warned.

Grabbing Garcia's hand in an iron-clad grip, Morgan hissed, "Start walking, Momma. We're less than ten steps from freedom. And I personally want my life expectancy to be longer than Rossi's pot of coffee."

"Tell Buttercup that I'll call her later," Garcia giggled. "Toodles!"

"Good-bye," Dave groaned.

"Oh, and Agent Rossi?" Garcia said, turning at the door.

"What?" Dave barked.

"You're welcome," Garcia said sweetly, closing the door behind her with a flourish.

Shaking his head as he waited for the coffee to brew, Rossi grabbed a couple of mugs, then splashed cream into one of them as he reached for the sugar packets. A scant minute later, he kicked open the bedroom door, leading with two mugs of steaming liquid.

Cracking open one eye as she heard the hinges squeak, JJ asked as she stretched, "I thought you were gonna be right back. Did you get lost on the way to the kitchen?"

Easing down on the bed, Rossi handed her the lighter-colored coffee as he growled, "No, but I did have to run out some intruders once I got there. Seriously, babe, is there anywhere that is safe from Penelope Garcia?"

Choking back her laughter at the horrified look on his face, JJ shook her head. "Penelope lives by the code that nothing is sacred among friends. Evidently, you've been included in that circle now."

"I don't wanna be in her circle, Bella. Her circle scares me. Her circle is shaped like a noose," Dave whined.

"Is the great David Rossi scared of a tiny technical analyst?" JJ teased.

"That woman is a menace," Dave retorted, rolling in the bed beside her and hauling her into his arms.

"That woman is the reason you finally made your way into my bed," JJ corrected, pressing a kiss against his neck.

"I never said she didn't have her uses," Dave grumbled. "But as useful as she is, talking about Garcia isn't exactly what I had planned for this morning."

"And what exactly was on your morning agenda?" JJ asked, taking a deep sip of her coffee as she propped up against him.

Arching an eyebrow, Rossi wrapped his hand around JJ's mug, pulling it easily out of her hand as he set it on the nightstand with his own. JJ slapped at his hand as she groused, "Hey! I was drinking that!"

Grinning down at her beautiful face as he swiftly rolled them both to the center of the bed, Rossi said as he lowered his lips to hers, "Trust me, Bella, it'll be worth the wait."

**FINIS**


End file.
